A Friend in Need
by PhantasyPhan13
Summary: When 14-year-old Rose Hart uses her time-travel skills to tour the Middle Ages for a history report, she winds up in a bigger adventure than she could have ever imagined when she saves Clumsy and Kat from Gargamel's clutches. And when Kat and Clumsy are pushed through the vortex and wind up in New York, Rose is there visiting family and may have to play the hero again. Will she?
1. Chapter 1: The Crystal

Chapter One: The Crystal

~Rose~

"Hey, I just met you…and this is crazy…so here's my number….so call me, maybe…" Carly Rae Jepsen's infamous song 'Call Me, Maybe' blasted through my ears as I lay back in my bed, staring at the ceiling. I had just returned home from school and was listening to some music before I started my homework. Okay, so I know some people think Carly Rae Jepsen's music is sort of girly and annoying, but who cares? It's a free country, so I can listen to whoever I want, whenever I want, right?

"ROSE! SHUT OFF THAT STUPID MUSIC RIGHT NOW! YOU'RE GIVING ME A HEADACHE!" yelled my sister Jem. She poked her head into my room and scowled angrily at me. I sighed and rolled my eyes in annoyance before reluctantly turning off my pink speakers. "Sorry, Jem. I promise not to turn it up so loud next time," I apologized. I hoped that she'd let this one slide for once and not tell Mom-AGAIN-that I was 'disturbing her peace'.

Unfortunately, my future punishment looked like it was coming relatively soon. Jem gave me a filthy glare and stomped out of the room, which pretty much meant that I was going to be washing the dishes for the rest of the week. "Oh well….it could be worse. At least I probably won't have to shovel dog poop," I groaned. I flopped back onto my bed and took my homework out of my binder. "Math, science, study for the literature test, social studies, music, and….history," I read as I got out my math worksheet and started on a long division problem. I'm not exactly a study freak, but I do have my favorite subjects. History happens to be a very special subject for me because I'm a time traveler.

Yes, you read that right: I'm a time traveler. Don't ask me how I got the gift. I've had it ever since I can remember and have no idea how I even got it in the first place. Well, if you want to know the truth, it probably happened when I was about five and on a trip to Europe with my family. We were walking down the street when I saw a big beautiful lavender crystal in a gift shop. It had a star-shaped scratch in the center and shimmered in the sunlight like a parakeet's feathers. I was a huge fan of shiny things at the time-okay, I still am-and wanted that crystal more than anything.

Of course, I asked my parents if I could have it, so we went into the shop to buy the crystal. I stared at the crystal while my parents talked to the shopkeeper about the price. I wasn't really listening, but I was sure that I'd get the crystal no matter what. I'd been relatively good the whole trip and hadn't asked for anything else like this. Plus, my parents had wanted to buy me a keepsake anyway. How could they possibly say no?

My parents looked at one another before they came back to me to tell me the news: The crystal was $1,500-way too much money to spend on a mere trinket. They said they'd buy me another one, but I couldn't see how any other crystal would be better. Even though my sister Morgan told me she'd find another one just like this one, I'd begged for the crystal and had even asked the shopkeeper if he could give it to us for free. But no matter how much I pleaded, the shopkeeper wouldn't adjust the price. So I'd left the shop with tears in my eyes and my siblings snickering at me.

That crystal would probably still be in that shop window today if it wasn't for the accident. I had decided to at least say goodbye to the crystal before we looked for another. I went into the shop and touched the star-shaped scrape. A strange greenish flash had emitted from the tip, and the shopkeeper had been knocked to the ground; out cold on the floor. I had run over to him, wondering why he was suddenly sleeping on the floor, when a silver cloud enveloped me. After blinking away the dust, I'd found myself in Europe-but in the Renaissance era!

I felt scared by the people in the funny clothes, so I touched the crystal again, wishing that I was with my family. A tan cloud had appeared, and I suddenly found myself next to the shop with my stunned family. They were watching as the KO'd shopkeeper was being taken away on a stretcher. They had rushed over to me, saying how glad they were to see me and asking me if I was okay. I hugged them and tried to tell them about what had happened to me, but they thought I was imagining things and thought I should probably rest in the hotel.

After we had returned from the trip, I had been slightly scared of the crystal. I had tucked it into a corner by my window where I could just barely see the tip of it. I didn't have another time-travel incident until I was about twelve years old, when I had had to write a history report on ancient Egypt.

I was wishing that I just go back in time instead of doing research on the Internet. The same thing happened with the clouds, and I'd actually found myself in King Tut's court! Of course, I had a very accurate history report that made my teacher very suspicious, but I had also finally realized the extent of the crystal's powers. Since then, I had used the crystal to help me with schoolwork and to escape from my family. Nobody really knew my secret and I didn't intend for anyone to discover it.

I snapped out of my reverie as I finished the last math problem on my worksheet. I was ready to travel back in time once again, and this time I was going to go someplace I'd wanted to visit for ages: The Middle Ages. I'd read lots of fantasy novels in Middle Age-esque settings and learned about it in history, and I had become fascinated with it. Right now, I had to write a research report on it, so I was in luck.

I got out of bed and picked up a pen and notepad. I definitely wasn't going to leave the Middle Ages without taking a few notes. After I'd picked up my writing supplies, I inched over to the crystal and gently touched the star scar. "I want to go to the Middle Ages," I said in a firm voice. Before long, a silver spinning cloud enveloped me and I was off on my journey.


	2. Chapter 2: The Escape

Chapter Two: The Escape

~Kat~

I panted as I ran through the Smurf Forest with Gargamel hot on my and Clumsy's heels. Only a few moments before, I had been gathering wood for Handy when Clumsy had ineptly tripped over a rock. He had landed with a loud thud, alerting Gargamel to our presence. He'd laughed in delight and tried to capture us with a net, but we'd recognized the danger and had started out for the Smurf Village as fast as our feet would take us. We had been running for fifteen minutes now, but Gargamel showed no sign of slowing down.

"Clumsy! Hurry up! We're going to be Smurf soup at this rate!" I called. I dug my nails into the wood of the logs I hadn't dropped yet, trying to hold onto them. "I-I'm trying! Gargamel's really fast!" puffed Clumsy as he tripped over his feet for the 14th time. This blunder allowed Gargamel to catch up with us. "You stupid Smurfs! I'll get you one day, or my name isn't Gargamel!" cackled Gargamel. He reached out a hand to take us away.

Luckily for us, he tripped over Azrael. We were able to pull ahead of him by only a few feet. I could faintly see the invisible barrier protecting the village ahead and panicked-Gargamel would find our village if we kept heading in this direction! "Clumsy, follow me; we're almost to the village and we can't let Gargamel hurt everyone!" I called as I made a sharp left turn and headed into the depths of the forest. "O-okay!" stammered Clumsy. As he tried to follow me, he slipped in a puddle of mud and skidded across the forest floor. To my horror, I realized that he was headed right for a huge boulder. "Clumsy, watch out! You're going to-" I warned him. But it was too late.

Just as Clumsy turned his head to look at me, the side of his face smacked into the rock. He slumped to the ground in a comatose heap. My heart skipped a few beats as I saw Gargamel cackle in triumph and scoop Clumsy into his hands. "You're finally mine, you annoying little Smurf! And now for the other one…"

Azrael mewled maliciously and reached out for me with his horrifyingly sharp claws, as though I were a tender mouse. I backed away in horror and looked desperately up at Gargamel. I tried to formulate a plan to rescue Clumsy and escape without leading Gargamel to the village. As hard as I thought, I couldn't come up with a decent plan. It didn't help that Azrael kept chasing me around in an attempt to corner me.

I quickly glanced up at Clumsy and nearly burst into tears at his current state. He was as pale as death. He drooped limply over Gargamel's hand while he lay helpless and unconscious. He looked like a dead mouse in a hawk's talons. I knew he needed to be taken care of before he got worse.

I suddenly thought of Amnesiac Smurf, a Smurf with psychic powers who had been struck in the head by a comet and had remained in a hundred-year-long coma until quite recently. I knew I couldn't let that happen to Clumsy-the mere thought of it was just too difficult to bear. And as this thought crept into my brain like a suffocating vine, an idea for escape slithered along with it.

I bent over abruptly and clutched at my belly, as though I had suddenly gotten a terrible stomachache. "What's wrong, little Kat? Too weak for Gargamel now?" smirked Gargamel. He leaned over me, his voice dripping with false concern. Disgusted, I backed away, trying as hard as I could to look pained beyond belief. "I…don't feel so smurfy. I think….I need to smurf down a little," I said weakly as I leaned against a tree for support.

Azrael narrowed his eyes and snorted. I could tell he was suspicious about my sudden discomfort. Feeling that perhaps my performance wasn't very convincing yet, I put the back of my hand to my forehead and slumped over, as though I had a bad fever.

"Kat, are you ill? You poor Smurfling…why don't you come with Uncle Gargamel and let me turn you into something useful, you sniveling wreck of a girl?" sneered Gargamel as he groped out for me. His fingers were curled like a hawk's talons. I knew that he was feeling triumphant at the capture.

I curled my lip; feeling sick at his words. When I was younger, Gargamel had acted as a foster parent for me, and I had been his servant until I turned ninety-eight. On that day, I was taken home to the village.

That was when I realized that the lies Gargamel had fed me about me being his niece were all false-they were all created only to turn me into a trusting ally. Since then, I had hated him with all the loathing I could muster, although I still felt sorry for him at times. After all, he may be a bumbling wizard, but deep down inside he's just a lonely little boy who wants somebody to love him.

Thinking fast, I tackled Gargamel and kicked him in the thigh. He doubled over and yelled in pain, giving me a few moments in which to act. With the swiftness of a darting cat, I raced up his thigh, grabbed Clumsy in my arms, and leaped gracefully into a soft patch of moss. I dusted off my pants and ran as fast as my legs could carry me from the hissing Azrael and his equally frustrated master.

"GET BACK HERE, YOU NAUGHTY LITTLE SMURFETTE! HOW DARE YOU STEAL MY PRIZE!" Gargamel roared, but I didn't stop to listen. Instead, I leaped through the barrier and scuttled behind a tree. I panted hard; trying to capture my breath. Crossing my fingers for luck, I peeked out from behind the tree to see if I could catch a glimpse of the rampaging wizard.

His squinty black eyes glared back at me. Then slowly but surely he crept towards me with Azrael right beside him. I gasped for air and struggled to run. As hard as I tried, I wasn't able to force my legs to leap out of the way. Gargamel came closer and closer like an approaching nightmare. In a last attempt to get help, I threw back my head and screamed like a maiden in dragon's talons. "Very funny, little Kat…but you won't escape this time. You're MINE!" Gargamel chuckled. He took one last step towards me and tried clumsily to grab me.

That was when I heard a new voice speaking. Her words rang out confidently like a bronze gong. "Drop him."


	3. Chapter 3: The Girl

Chapter Three: The Girl

~Kat~

"Drop him," the girl repeated as she slowly stepped up to face Gargamel. Her long blonde hair blew in the slight breeze, and her dark blue eyes were as calm and serious as the gaze of a wolf. She wore a dark green cloak that hung awkwardly over her shoulders, a slightly ragged brown tunic, black pants, gray riding boots, and fingerless leather gloves. She stood confidently, as if she took on thugs like Gargamel every day. Even though Gargamel was trying his best to look threatening, I could tell he was just as startled by girl's appearance as I was. Even Azrael seemed uneasy as he yowled and nipped around his master's heels.

"Of course I'm not going to drop him! He's my prize! Besides, these stupid little Smurfs have been torturing me for YEARS! I need them!" bawled Gargamel. The girl simply rolled her eyes and gave a nonchalant flick of her head, causing her cascade of golden locks to scatter like sunbeams. "I didn't say to throw a temper tantrum. I said to DROP him. Besides, Smurfs are little kids' cartoon characters from the eighties! You're not a time traveler too, are you?" the girl asked cynically.

"No, not particularly," Gargamel responded vaguely. "But I do need these happy, puny Smurfs for my diabolical potions. Besides, I have more reason than ever to destroy them now if they're going to survive into the future!" "You're not saying that Smurfs are real, are you? I don't like to call people psychos for no reason, but I'm afraid that you're one if you think that a tiny bunch of animated blue pixels are going to destroy you," the girl cracked.

"Well…I suppose if you put it that way, I am something of a 'psycho'," Gargamel admitted. "But I'm still not going to give you this Smurf for no reason! Unless perhaps you have a good price for him in gold?" he added hopefully. Gargamel had always been as poor as a church mouse, and I could see that he savored the opportunity to gain a bit of cash. "Hmmm…well, I don't have any gold, but I have five bucks on me right now. Is that a decent price for a six-ounce imp?" the girl smiled. She was giving him a sly glance, as if she were trying to manipulate him into making the best deal possible.

"Uhh…sure! But what do you mean by 'bucks'? Do you mean silver? Or copper?" Gargamel questioned. "No," the girl replied curtly. Gargamel gave her a puzzled look and scratched his balding head. He was silent for a few moments, but he was muttering to himself thoughtfully. "Hmmm….sounds like an awfully good deal…perhaps I should make it…no, Gargamel, you should go home and take the Smurf with you; she's probably trying to commit a robbery of some sort…but still…"

"Good then. Hand over the…toy, and I'll give you your money. Deal made," the girl demanded. She held out her hand impatiently and waited for Gargamel to comply. Azrael mewled and scratched at his master's leg, warning him about the suspicious trade. As usual, Gargamel paid no attention to the wisdom of his feline familiar. "All right! Here he is, the despicable beast. I might warn you that he's a bit stupider than most, but he should probably be competent for your spells and potions. Well, see you soon!" Gargamel said cheerfully as the girl dug into her pocket and handed him what looked like two shriveled, crumpled green leaves.

"Good. Enjoy your money," the girl grinned deviously. Gargamel stupidly looked down and realized that he had been duped. "Hey, you! Get back here with my Smurf! That wasn't a fair deal at ALL!" Gargamel shrieked. He ran off after the girl like fire with Azrael groaning at his heels. However, the girl was far faster than he was. She scurried up a tree with lightning speed and nestled herself in one of the higher branches in ten minutes flat. Meanwhile, Gargamel seemed to have forgotten how to brake. He slammed into the tree like a wrecking ball. He slumped to the ground like a deadweight. Azrael mewed in frustration and slapped his face with his paw. He scrambled up the tree after the girl, but she stuck out her tongue and leapt to another branch.

Azrael chased her for a while, but each time the girl evaded his clumsy attempts. Finally, Azrael decided that he had had enough of the girl's cheeky games. He tensed his muscles and soared over the twigs, claws outstretched like a monster. "Nice try, kitty cat," the girl teased. She lightly jumped to a higher branch and stuck out her tongue at Azrael just before he fell on top of his slumbering master. The girl waited anxiously for a few moments, waiting to see if the evil duo would wake up. However, it was clear after a couple of minutes that both of them were out like a light. I was pretty sure that they'd both be comatose for at least a couple of hours.

After the girl had determined that Gargamel and Azrael were totally unconscious, she slid down the tree and trotted towards me. I shrank back, afraid of being seen by the human. It wasn't long before her lean frame towered over me like a skyscraper. I shut my eyes and crouched as low as I could in the grass. I knew it was the end if she found me too. I was certain that she was a sorcerer like Gargamel, or at least an apprentice. What other reason would she have for insisting that Gargamel give Clumsy to her?

You can imagine my surprise when she gently laid Clumsy on a bed of moss next to me. "Here's your little friend. I'm so glad that that guy was such an idiot. If he wasn't, then I would have had a much harder time getting him back," laughed the girl. "W-what? You're not going to take him away from me?" I gasped in shock. The girl shook her head. The smile that she gave me glowed as brightly as her sun-lit hair. "Of course not! I couldn't stand to see the poor thing looking so helpless in the hands of that moron," she explained. She looked around the forest furtively before kneeling on the ground and whispering confidentially. "Besides, my mom liked Smurfs back when she was a kid in nineteen eighty-something, so she bought a bunch of Smurf DVDs for me when I was five. I'll admit it wasn't my favorite cartoon-I'm more of a Total Drama Island person anyway-but it was pretty cute for an old show. I don't remember you, though. Are you like, a new addition or something?"

"Well…I guess I'm sort of new to the whole Smurf Village," I responded. I wasn't sure how this girl would react if I told her that I used to be Gargamel's servant. The girl nodded, looking a tiny bit excited. "Really? So how long have you been in the village?" she inquired curiously. "Ummm…only a year or so. I used to be Gargamel's servant until I was ninety-eight, but that's a long story….please don't think I'm evil! I'm not! I love my family and my cat and my friends-I'm not bad at all! So please don't-"

"Relax! I don't think you're evil," the girl reassured me. "I actually think you're pretty cool for a Smurf. Errr, what's your name?" "I'm Kat Smurf. And you?" I replied. "I'm Rose Hart. I'm a time traveler, really, and I was actually coming here to get some info for a medieval history report," she said, looking somewhat embarrassed. "But then I saw you and that other guy in the woods, so I thought I should stop and help. It just didn't seem right to leave you and your little brother in the hands of a weirdo like him…whatever his name is."

"Gargamel. And his cat is Azrael," I answered back quickly. I ducked behind my dark brown bangs to hide the fact that I was blushing like a sunset. Did Rose really think that Clumsy was my little brother? I often liked to think of him that way because of our close bond and his sweet, childlike ways, so I suppose it was an easy mistake to make. Still, there was something about Rose's misunderstanding that made me feel incredibly embarrassed.

I guess Rose must have noticed, because she let out a snicker and said, "Guess he isn't your brother, huh?" "He's just my friend! It's not like we're related or anything!" I protested, still feeling the heat dancing across my cheeks. "It's okay, Kat; I understand. It's just-I haven't seen Smurfs in a while, so I can't remember all the relationships and stuff like that. Forgive me." "Don't worry, Rose. I get it," I said back shyly. Rose must have sensed that I wasn't over the whole 'little brother' blunder yet, so she decided to switch the topic. "So….you guys actually have a village hidden in the woods and all that? That's awesome. Oh, and is Handy Smurf real, or is he like, dead or something? I know it's been a while, but he was my favorite when I was a kid, so I thought maybe I'd ask…"

"Oh, he's still alive and smurfing, all right!" I chuckled, relieved to be talking about something that wasn't awkward. "In fact, I'm actually his apprentice! I get to help him build things and stuff like that. It's neat. I was actually looking for some wood for him with Clumsy when Gargamel started chasing us.""Epic!" Rose commented. I was a bit surprised that she was so interested in Smurfs. In my experience, only really young children believed in them, and if someone was talking about Smurfs at thirty years of age, they were considered to be a lunatic. Despite that, it was cool to have a girl around my age (in human years) show interest in my people.

Rose and I were so busy gabbing away that we didn't give Clumsy a second thought. All of a sudden, a tiny cough rent the air. Rose halted mid-sentence and looked about uneasily. "Did you hear that?" she asked. "Yeah, I did. Who do you think it was? I hope it's not THEM…"I faltered. I squeezed my cat tail for reassurance. If it was Gargamel waking up, then I wished that they wouldn't notice us and go someplace else.

The cough sounded again, louder this time. The sound drew my eyes towards the ground, where I noticed Clumsy twitching slightly. I gave a sigh of relief and plopped down on the moss next to him. "Phew. It's only Clumsy. I think he's smurfing up," I laughed in relief. Rose cocked her head to the side, as if she wasn't sure she'd heard something properly. "Clumsy? That name seems strangely familiar," she muttered uncertainly. She scratched her chin and looked up above the treetops as if seeking an answer.

"Well, you probably saw him in the show or something," I shrugged. I gently shook Clumsy by the shoulder, trying to encourage him to wake up. "Hmmm…I guess you're right. There was something I hated about him, though. I just can't remember what it is," Rose replied tensely. "Really? Well, maybe it was something made up by the humans. There's no way you could possibly hate Clumsy! He's so sweet and nice and funny….and he likes animals like me!" I argued.

Rose remained silent for a few more moments, unconvinced by my argument. Suddenly, a light of revelation lit up her fair face. She slapped her forehead as if she had forgotten something perfectly obvious. "Oh! THAT'S what I didn't like about him! He was the stupid one!" she blurted.

I opened my mouth to defend Clumsy, but just at that moment, his eyes started to flutter.


End file.
